1. In which segments does Bain operate?
In Brazil, as in the rest of our global offices, Bain helps clients from many different industries: from financial services to agrobusiness, from mining to retail.
2. When a consultant starts at Bain does he or she become a specialist of a given segment?
Not in the beginning. When a consultant starts at Bain he or she is staffed on different projects in different industries and segments. It is normal, however, that with time he or she will stay more focused on a specific segment or industry as the consultant progresses through their career.
3. During college I haven't had any math, finance or marketing classes. Can I still become an associate consultant?
Bain accepts students from any field of higher education. In order to work at Bain the candidate must demonstrate strong analytical skills and Business sense. We do not ask candidates for any specific knowledge of business. We strongly believe that this knowledge will easily be gathered throughout the candidate's career.
4. How will Bain prepare me for a consulting career?
From their very first day, Bain is committed to transform our employee's analytical and social skills into value creation to our client. With this objective we invest heavily, on trainings inside the São Paulo office and throughout the world in different training sessions. Aside from this, we also consider the support of other more experienced consultants within the company an important aspect of the Bain experience. Bain is proud to have a very cooperative culture, and one is always there to help the other. One of our most important sayings is "One Bainee never lets another Bainee fail".
5. Working at Bain, will I have international experience?
Yes. Approximately every 18 months Bain consultants attend to an international training session, where peers throughout the world get together to receive the learning's necessary for their careers.
Bain also offers its high performance employees the possibility to do a six month transfer to one of our other offices throughout the world. There is also the possibility of doing an MBA in one of the best business schools with tuition paid through Bain sponsorship.
6. How is Bain different from other consultancies?
It can be difficult for a candidate without a deep knowledge in consulting to understand the differences between consulting firms. At Bain we encourage candidates to get to know the different players in our industry in order to make the best personal choice when deciding where to work.
We can say that Bain is deeply focused on generating value to our client; we deliver results, not reports. Our successful projects are the ones that get implemented and generate massive value to our clients.
7. Is it true that consultants spend all of their time working?
The work is very demanding and deliverables have to be held in high priority. Even so, Bain cares about the work life balance of its consultants. Our consultants, on average, have time to enjoy their families and invest in different hobbies.
About the recruiting process
8. What different phases does the recruiting process have?
The recruiting process starts with a CV evaluation, then the candidate is asked to do two multiple choice exams, (i) a GMAT based test and (ii) a business case test. After that there is a group dynamics simulation. Finally, the candidate goes to the interview round. Depending on the background of each candidate, some of the above phases can be skipped.
9. What is the GMAT test?
GMAT is a logical and verbal English exam used to select MBA candidates. Our test has 20 questions split into critical reasoning, data sufficiency and problem solving. The exam has to be answered in 30 minutes.
10. What is the business case test?
The business case test is used by Bain to measure the business sense of the applicants. The candidate will be tested for data interpretation, comfort using and manipulating numbers, and for good business sense. Candidates are presented two business cases and then asked to answer 18 questions within an hour.
11. What is a case Interview?
The objective of a case interview is to simulate the experience of a project at Bain. The candidate will be presented with a situation in which a recommendation must be given. The interview pushes the candidate through qualitative and quantitative problems.
12. Where can I undertake the recruiting process?
The tests can be taken at one of our different recruiting events, which usually take place at leading colleges. The interviews take place in São Paulo, except for MBA recruiting, where we usually visit various different business schools. Candidates from different cities outside of São Paulo will have their logistics expenses paid by Bain.
